The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is set to inaugurate a $450 million manganese refinery at Nsuta in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, Western Region.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, confirmed that negotiations with the majority shareholder of Ghana Manganese Company (GMC) Limited have concluded.
The new refinery will enhance manganese quality from 27% to approximately 40%, enabling the production and export of refined products, including battery-grade manganese, essential for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems.
Mr. Jinapor made this announcement at the 8th University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) Biennial International Mining and Mineral Conference in Tarkwa, themed “Innovations in Mining and Mineral Processing: Expanding the Frontiers of Mining Technology.”
“The government’s initiative underscores our commitment to value addition for critical minerals,” Jinapor stated. “This will spur economic diversification, and job creation, and enhance our global competitiveness.”
Jinapor emphasized the need for comprehensive geological investigations to quantify critical mineral resources, aiming to create an information-driven mining sector. He highlighted investments in infrastructure, technology, and human capital as crucial to developing a robust mineral value chain.
Institutions like UMaT are urged to foster research, development, and training programs to build and manage processing plants, thereby enhancing local value addition. “We must develop innovations to make value addition cost-effective and efficient,” he added.
The Minister mentioned that policy and regulatory frameworks are in place to support value-added investments. “The Green Minerals Policy, approved by Cabinet, provides incentives for investments along the value chain,” he said. “These incentives can be harnessed by developing the necessary technologies and innovations locally.”
He called on academic institutions to drive research that bridges global technology with local needs, emphasizing that Ghana’s future in critical minerals depends on intensified research and development for value addition.
Greater collaboration between regulators, industry players, universities, research institutions, the private sector, and international partners is essential. “Adding value to our critical minerals is crucial for national development,” Jinapor asserted. “These minerals are enablers of progress. Prioritizing their value addition will enhance our mining industry’s competitiveness, contribute to socio-economic development, and bring prosperity to our people.”
Public-private partnerships are vital for driving investments in smelting, refining, and manufacturing, he added.
Professor Richard Kwasi Amankwah, Vice Chancellor of UMaT, stated that the conference aims to provide a platform for researchers, engineers, academics, and industry stakeholders to discuss their findings and innovations. He highlighted that approximately 20 presentations would address advancing the minerals industry.
The conference included a panel discussion on “Critical and Green Minerals: Ghana’s Preparedness for Value Addition,” featuring experts from the Ghana Geological Survey Authority, Atlantic Lithium, Minerals Commission, and UMaT.
